Laurie Daley helped transform Blues long before becoming coach

Michael Chammas

He didn't know it at the time, but during a meeting in 2010, Laurie Daley helped sow the seeds for what would eventually become his finest hour in rugby league.

Among the 96 people Brian Canavan interviewed as part of his report, commissioned by NSW Rugby League, into NSW's approach and structure around the State of Origin was the then-Blues selector, Daley.

Despite having interviewed the likes of Wayne Bennett and Phil Gould, as well as members of the NSW Waratahs and Cricket Australia during his independent consultancy work for the NSWRL, Canavan still recalls his interview with Daley.

Committed: Laurie Daley. Photo: Getty Images

"I can remember the interview and how it went," the now Roosters chief operating officer said.

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"I do remember sitting there and it started off as a serious, low-key conversation. But Laurie then progressively became more passionate and more animated. By the end of it, both of us wanted to go out there and play Origin.

"I reckon I had a good hour and a half with him. I just saw this incredibly passionate rugby league person, who was passionate about his state and would do anything to ensure the progress of players and his state's performance. It came as no surprise to me that he was later appointed head coach."

Having met almost 100 people during his research, the fact that Canavan remembers Daley's input almost four years later says a lot about the man who finally led NSW to a series victory on Wednesday night.

The most significant part of Canavan's report was the recommendation to employ a full-time Origin coach, which would later become Ricky Stuart.

But three of the suggestions Daley put forward in his meeting with Canavan were all included in the report filed to the NSWRL, and have been reflected in his reign as NSW coach.

"The first thing he wanted was the whole of the state to be passionate about their team, not just the Sydney-based people going to the game," Canavan said.

"That probably came out of his greater familiarity with media, because he was working for Fox at the time. The second thing he wanted was a change of culture within the group. That was very evident in the Queensland team and he wanted NSW culture to change.

"The third thing he wanted was that we should know the names of all the potential elite junior players coming into the system. For example, he wanted to know who the next best 20 front-rowers coming through the junior system were. Talent identification and talent development was something he felt strongly about in regards to NSW's long-term strategies."

In 2012 Daley was announced as Ricky Stuart's successor on the same day the NRL confirmed a $1 billion television deal, David Gallop was appointed the boss of Football Federation Australia and Dragons captain Ben Hornby announced he would retire at the end of the season.

At the time it was a minor news story on one of the biggest days in Australian sporting news.

But there's nothing minor about what Daley has been able to achieve in his two years as the Blues coach; he's become the toast of the town for what he's instilled both on and off the field.

"One of the most important factors in the success of the team has been the structure and the leadership that he's provided the group as a whole, and the direction he's given the campaign. For me, that's been the single most important feature in the whole thing.

"His goal is to create a legacy for sustained success, and I can tell you that what he's doing at at the moment is creating the platform to do exactly that."

When Daley applied for the job he was on a shortlist that included Trent Barrett, Brad Fittler and Daniel Anderson.

After all four applicants completed their presentations to the board, the decision to back Daley was unanimous.

"They all had powerpoints looking at what their preparations might be, how they looked at the future in developing players and they were all quality presentations," former NSWRL boss Geoff Carr said.

"But at the conclusion of that presentation, the board unanimously decided to go with Laurie. They were all good and all passionate, but the thing with Laurie, while he was well prepared and did a great presentation, he'd established himself as a good short-term coach.

"Laurie had established himself as the Indigenous All Stars coach, he had a successful career in coaching Country Origin, and had already established his credentials as a man who could coach a team in short preparation. A lot of people told us he hasn't coached in the NRL, but the NRL and Origin are two different beasts. Laurie proved he had the skills to get a group of players together in a week and welled them into a comprehensive unit that all play for each other."

Right from the get-go, Daley was a man on a mission.

He's changed the culture of the Blues, he's overhauled their preparations by moving to Coffs Harbour and has taken many unorthodox steps to ensure the success of the state.

"The most impressive thing about Laurie's first part of his tenure was the fact that as soon as he got the job, even though Origin was six months away, he started picking people's brains," Carr said.

"I still remember the discussions he was having with the All Blacks coach [Steve Hansen]. That particular relationship developed to the point where Laurie has been involved in All Blacks preparation to look at what they do. He talked to a wide variety of coaches, he looked at best practice models in coaching, and Iguess that's why he has the support staff now that covers a whole lot of areas other than training and strength and conditioning."

3 comments so far

Onya Lozzan another Junee success story. Go the Diesels!!!!!

Commenter

Uhhhmmm

Location

Brisbane

Date and time

June 21, 2014, 11:01AM

He got the job because he was the BEST man for the JOB and will be for a long time to come.

Commenter

Roger

Date and time

June 21, 2014, 12:47PM

first win in 8 years and all of a sudden every cockroach is an article worthy legend?

From years as a selector, to coach, not sure what had been driving his selection over the last few years but it took a well and truly battered QLD team for the Blues to finally get a win; almost shameful.